Rangers pushing harder for Cain, sign former All-Star Delabar

One of the players the Rangers have been eyeing this winter is outfielder Lorenzo Cain. According to ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick, the team has “ramped up their pursuit” of the former Royals outfielder.

Cain, 31, remains unsigned as does a whole list of free agents. A season ago he posted a 5.3 WAR with a .300/.363/.440 slash line while adding 15 home runs and 26 stolen bases in 155 games. Cain finished third in the AL MVP race in 2015 with a WAR of 7.3 and boasts a career line of .290/.342/.421 with 57 home runs and 127 stolen bases across eight big league seasons.

The #Rangers have ramped up their pursuit of free agent outfielder Lorenzo Cain, says a source.

Other teams who are known to have interest in Cain include the Mets, Brewers and Blue Jays. The Royals have also made efforts to retain Cain but with Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas also leaving the team, the Royals will not have enough funds to retain all three. The Royals are known to have an offer out to Hosmer.

The Rangers have signed former All-Star reliever Steve Delabar to a minor league deal. His contract contains an invitation to spring training. Delabar was an All-Star for the Blue Jays back in 2013 but has struggled since. He missed all of 2017 after being hit with a 80-game PED suspension and posted a 6.75 ERA in eight innings for the Reds during the 2016 season.

Delabar will at-least provide the Rangers with options this spring but expecting him to return to his All-Star form may be expecting too much.